Spark arrester and conductor



(No Model.) ssh etssheet 1.

T. J. SIMPSON.

SPARK ARRESTER-AND CONDUCTOR. No; 334,680. Patented Jan; 19, 1886;

mun i g WITNESSES f 06 @M I film W.

VEJV' TOR Attorney's,

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, T. J. SIMPSON.

SPARK ARRESTER AND CONDUCTOR.

v No. 334,680. Patented Jan. 1.9, 1886.

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(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 19, 1886.

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- being had to the accompanying drawings,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. SIMPSON, OF YVORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA.

SPARK ARRESTER AND CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION fcrming part ofLetters Patent No. 334,680, dated January19, 188 5.

Application filed October 7, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs J. SrMPsoN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Worthington, in the county of Nobles and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'inSpark-Arresters and SmokeConductors; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for arresting the sparksand conducting away the smoke, gas, soot, &c.,issuing through wherebythe passengers andmerchandise in a train may be saved from theinconvenience and danger of injury or destruction by reason from thelocomotive passing into or upon the cars or other railroadrolling-stock.

My invention also greatly aids to prevent local conflagrations caused bythe ejection of incandescent particles from locomotives while passingthrough fields orland, or in'the neighborhood of houses or otherbuildings during the dry or heated season.

To these ends myinvention consists, broad l y, in first conducting thesparks, smoke, 850., from the smoke stack of the locomotive through aflue having a spark box or arrester of peculiar construction, in whichthe sparks are caught and retained, the smoke, gas, soot, &c., passingon through pipes extending on each side of the steam and sand domes ofthe locomotive to enter at each eye of a suction and forcing fan,located, preferably, on the rear portion of the locomotive, andpreferably op- I erated by a small separate engine in the cab, whichreceives steam from the steam-dome of the engine proper or main engine.The smoke, gas, soot, &c., are then forced by the said fan through theconducting-tube, which is formed of sections connected by flexible ormovable couplings of peculiar construction, over the top of the tenderand the several cars, and are finally discharged at the rear end of thetrain, at which point the conducting-tube is pro- Serial No. 179,229.(No model.)

vided with a shield or protecting'cap of pe culiar construction, whichserves to assist the draft'and at the same time protect the rear end ofthe said tube from the direct force of the wind,which might be blowingin the same direction or at an angle toward the direction in which thetrain is moving.

My invention further consists in surroundving the said smoke-conductingpipes with larger tubes having flaring forward ends, and arranged inwinter to conduct pure vital air,

' which is heated by passing around the smoke- I conducting tubes, intothe interior of the cars through avalve or duct opening from the saidvital-air pipes into the cars'at points near the roof of the same. thesmoke stack of railroad locomotives,

My invention further consists in the peculiar construction andarrangement of the re- Zversible damper, which will be hereinafter 1described.

of the incandescent or other cinders and smoke l My invention likewiseconsists in utilizing the exhaust-steam by conveying it in suitablepipes to the smoke-conducting tube, which it enters immediately to therear of the exhaust and forcing fan, thereby materially increasingcouplings (which are shown as arranged in winter) being shown partly inelevation and partly in section, and parts of the outer casing of thecars and tender being broken away to illustrate the construction andarrangement of the several parts. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame,taken from the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1, showing thearrangement of the couplings in summer. Fig. 3 is a perspective top viewof the locomotive, showing 5 more clearly the arrangement of the doublesmoke-conducting pipes and the adjacent parts. Fig. 4 is a perspectivedetail view of the shield or protecting-cap, which is secured to therear end of the smoke-conducting IOO tube; and Figs. 5 and 6 aresectional detail views of two of the couplings, which will behereinafter described.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A indicates the locomotive, Bthe tender, and (J C the cars, of a train to which my invention is shownas applied. The smoke-stack D of the engine is formed near its lower endand at the point where it communicates with the forward portion of thesmoke-conducting tube in which the spark-arrester is situated, with thecircular chamber E, in which is centrally pivotedorhungthereversibledainperF. This curved or triangular damper is formedwith the two wings G G, which connect at the center at an angle, asshown, the object of this peculiar construction being that when thedamper is turned by means of the operatingrod f, running back to thecab, either to cut off exit into the smoke-stack proper and give freeaccess into the smoke-conducting pipe or tube, as shown in full lines inthe drawings, or else turned, shown in dotted lines, to close the accessinto the smoke-conducting tube and open the way to the smokestack of thelocomotive, the pressure of the smoke, &c., against the outer convexside of the said damper will operate to force it and hold it moreclosely in its operative position, thereby giving it great efliciency inoperation, as will be readily understood.

The sparks, smoke, gas, &c., pass, when the reversible damper is in itsnormal position, as shown in full lines in the drawings, into thatportion of the conductingtube immediately adjoining the said circularchamber, and in which the spark boX or arrester is located. This box His of the peculiar form shown in the drawings, having the perpendicularfront side and thesloping rear side. It will be seen that as the sparks,together with the smoke, &c., pass up through the circular chamber Ethey will strike against the top of the flue or tube nearly over thespark-box, and will be thrown either directly down into the saidspark-box, or, striking against its perpendicular front side, will thenfall to the bottom thereof.

Immediately in front of the spark-box the smoke-conducting tube isdivided; or two tubes, K K, are employed, one extending on each side ofthe steam and sand domes, as shown in the perspective view, Fig. 3, ofthe drawings, the combined capacity of these two tubes being fully asgreat, or greater, than the capacity of the smoke-stack.

On the rear portion of the locomotive is situated a suction and forcingfan, I, turning in a suitable i'an-chamber, J, and receiving power,)rel'erably, from a small separate engine in the cab, which in turnreceives steam from the steam dome of the engine. Ido not wish toconfine myself to any particular method of operating the said fan, assuch method forms no part of my invention. The rear inwardlycurved endsof the two conducting-tubes K K communicate directly with each eye ofthe fan,

as shown in the perspective view, each eye of 70 the fan beingsurrounded with the usual circular opening.

The exhaust-steam is led from each side of the locomotive throughsuitable pipes, L L, and admitted into the discharge-tube M of the fanon each side thereof, as shown, the said discharge-tube of the fanforming a part of the smokeconducting tube proper. It will be seen thatby this arrangement I utilize the exhauststeam, the discharge of whichthrough the corn ductingtube serves to materially increase the draftthrough the said tube, and would serve to create a certain amount ofdraft through the said tube even if the fan were not in motion.

The open end of the dischargetube M of the fan is flexibly or movablyconnected, by means of the peculiar coupling device, which will be nowdescribed, to the forward end of the first section of theSll'lOkG-COlldllCilllg tube, the said tube being made in sections, onefor each ear and for the tender, being supported on the tops thereof, asshown. Each end of each of the sections of the said smoke conductingtube is provided with an ontwardly-extendiug circular flange, N, whichmay be formed integral with the pipe, or may consist of a flaringcollar. secured in position by suitable pins or screws, as shown in thedetail view, Fig. 5, of the drawings. The adjacent flanged ends oftwosections of the smoke conducting tube are moi-ably connected, yet insuch a manner as to prevent any escape of smoke, &c., at the point ofcoupling, by means of the coupling device 0, which consists of a sleeveor short.

tube of such a diameter as to fit around the flanged ends of the tubesections and prevent the escape of smoke, 830., therefrom, being held inits operative position by the springcatchesl? P, which, while holdingthe coupling-sleeve in its operative position, and preventing the endsof the tubes from slipping or working out of the same, yet are soarranged as to permit of considerable movement of the ends of thesections inside of the couplingsleeve as the train rocks and swings fromside to side when in motion. These spring catches P are preferablyconstructed ofa single springbar, Q, pivoted at its center upon the topof the coupling-sleeve, and provided, near each of its free ends, with acatch, It, which extends down through asuitable opening in the saidsleeve near the end of the same, and there by prevents the flanged endsof the tube-sections from working out of the said coupling. The interiordiameter of the coupling-sleeve being exactly equal to the diameter ofthe flanges on the ends of the tube-sections, it will be seen that nomatter how much the ends of the tubesections may move in the couplingswhile the train is in motion, yet nosmoke, 820., will be able to escape.The coupling is surrounded and inclosed in a-sack, S, of asbestus orother non-combustible material, which is held in position at each end bythe adjustable circularhoops or fastening devices T T, as shown in Fig.1 of the drawings. It will be understood that the contiguous ends of allthe sections of the smoke-conducting tubes are connected by theabove-described coupling.

, Each sectionofthe smoke conducting tube which extends over a car isinclosed in atube, U, of larger diameter, which I prefer to denominate,for the sake of clcarness, as pureair or vital-air tubes,each of thesaid vitalair tubes being formed at its forward end with the flaringmouth-piece V, which serves to, in a manner, collect the pure vital airwhen the train is in motion. The rear end of each vital air tube is inwinter closed byacap, W, which, as shown, fits closely around thesmaller smoke-conducting tube, and also around the rear end of thevital-air pipe, thereby completely closing the rear end of the saidpipe.

Each vital-air pipe communicates through a small duct or flue, near itsrear end, with the interior of the car, each of the said ducts or fluesbeing controlled by a valve, X,. which is adapted to be opened inwinterand closed in summer. It will be seen that when the train is inmotionthe pure vital air will enter the flaring mouth of each vital-air pipe,and passing through the same through the space between the said outerpipe and the inclosed smoke-conducting pipe or tube will become heatedby contact with the said inclosed smoke-pipe, and this pure heated airwill be then discharged through the flues Y into the interior of thecar, thereby effectually venti lating the cars and furnishing them inwinter with much needed pure, vital, and warmed air. 1

To the rear end of the rear section of the smoke-conducting tube issecured the shield or protecting-cap Z, as shown, having the straightsides and the upward and outwardly slanting back, the top or upper edgeof which extends somewhat above the mouth ofthe rear tube-section. Theobject of this protectioncap is to prevent the wind from blowing intothe end of the smoke-conducting tube, which would prevent or obstructthe, draft, and also to give an upward direction to the smoke, which isaccomplished by the slanting back of the said cap. The arrow, which Ihave numbered lin Fig. l of the drawings, shows how the air would passdown the rearv slanting end of the said cap. Arrow No. 2 shows how thepacked air would be drawn up through the said cap, and arrow No. 3 showsthe direct-ion taken bythe smoke and steam when issuing from theconductor-tube, from which it will be seen that the air passing upthrough the eap,asjust described, (owing to the peculiar construction ofthe said cap,) will materially assist in directing the course taken bythe Smoke and steam on its exit from the conveyer or conductor tube.

The caps which in winter serve to close the rear ends of the vital-airpipes arein summer removed, and a flaring mouthpiece, A, is secured tothe rear end of each of the said pipes, the valves X of the dues Y beingclosed to prevent the heated air from entering the cars, which,ofcourse, is undesirable in summer. This arrangement is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings- It will be seen that by thisarrangement the air passing in summer rapidly through the entire spacebetween the two pipes and escaping at the rear end of the pure-air pipewill operate to cool the exterior of the smoke and gas tube, and therebyprevent it from heating the upper portion of the cars.

By reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be seen that thesmoke-conducting tube is provided immediately above the spark box with aport or opening, B, which is normally closed by a slide-valve, O,operated by means of a rod, D, from the cab of the 10- comotive. Theobject of this arrangement is as follows: When the train nears a stationand begins to slow up, the engineer reverses the damper, (which has beenpreviously described,) so as to cause the smoke, &c., to

- pass up through and out of the smoke-stack, and at the same time pullsthe rod D to open the slide-valve C. The pure air then rushes in throughthe-port or opening B,and through the influence of the suction andforcing fan and the exhaust-steam passes entirely through thesmoke-conducting tube, so as to effectually clear the same from allsmoke, gas, soot, &c., as will be readily understood.

The spark-box, previously described, is formed with an opening at itsbottom, which is normally closed by a slide, E, so that by opening thesaid slide the cinders are permitted to roll down into any suitablereceptacle.

The smoke-conducting tube by its peculiar construction .and its airtight flexible couplings becomes an air-tight tub,e,with no outsideair-currents entering therein, and when smoke inside of this air-tighttube are made to move in the opposite direction to that in which thetrain is going, by reactive force, which will cause a direct air-draftfrom the furnace, this draft being assisted by the combined suction andforcing fan, and, further, by the exhaust-steam, this construction ofthe smoke-conducting tube producing a smooth strong draft, without anyof that objectionable jerking motion which would be caused by theexhaust steam if the smoke-conducting tube were not so constructed.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, arrangement of parts, andoperation of my invention will be readily understood without requiringfurther explana tion. The advantages of my invention are obvious. Itwill be seen that by constructing the train is moving forward the air,gas, and

the reversibly-angnlar damper of the form shown and described, thepressure of the currentof smoke, &c., will operate to press and hold thedamper more firmly in its adjusted position. By constructing thespark-box of the peculiar shape shown and described, and locating it atthe particular point specified, the sparks and cindcrs will beeffectually arrested and prevented from being sucked through thesmoke-conducting flue. By conveying the exhaust-steam through suitablepipes into the smoke-conducting tube, as described and shown, I succeedin utilizing the exhaust-steam and cause it to materially assist thedraft through the smoke-conducting tube. By employing the combinedsuction and forcing fan andarranging it in the smokeconducting tube inthe manner shown and described, with the double or diverging forwardportion of the said tube communicating with the eyes of the fan box orchamber, 1 secure a perfect draft entirely independent of the directionwhich the wind may be blowing, as no wind enters the smoke conductingtube, as is usually the case. The pcculiarcoupling devices shown forconnecting the flanged ends of the smoke-conducting tube-sections allowfor all the jar and movement caused by the train when in motion, and atthe same time effectually prevent the escape of any smoke, gas, &c., atthe points where the sections are coupled together. Thepeculiarly-arranged vital-air pipes encircling the smoke-conducting tubesections convey pure warmed vital air into the interior of the severalcars in winter, thereby assisting in ventilating the same at a seasonwhen this pure air is especially needed, all of the doors and windows ofthe cars being at this season normally closed. The peculiarprotecting-cap at the rear end of the smokeconducting tube materiallyassists the draft or exit of the smoke, 850., and at the same timeprevents the wind from blowing into the end of the said tube, as beforestated; and, finally,

by constructing the port or opening in the smoke-conducting tubejustabove the sparkbox, and providing the said opening with the slide-valve,the smoke-conducting tube may be effectually cleaned by the outer coldair when the train arrives at a station, as previously described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with the locomotive provided with the circularchamber communicating both with the smoke-stack and with thesmoke-conducting tube, of the herein-described angular damper, formed ofthe two wings meeting at an angle to adapt it to be held more firmly inits adjusted position by the pressure of the current of smoke. &c., asthe latter enters either the smokestaek or the smoke-conducting tube,substantially as shown and set forth.

,2. The combination, with the smoke-conducting tube forrailroad-locomotives and the combined suction and forcing'fan arrangedto create or assist the draft through the said tube, of theexhaust-steam pipes arranged to convey the exhaust-steam into the saidsmokeconducting tube, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the smoke-con ducting tube forrailroad-locomotives, of the exhaust-steam pipes arranged to convey-theexhaust-steam into the said smoke-conducting tube, for the purpose setforth.

4. The combination, with the smoke-conducting tube forrailroad-locomotives and the combined suction and forcing fan arrangedto create or assist the draft through the said tube, of the exhauststeampipes arranged to convey the exhaust-steam from each side of thelocomotive and discharge it into the said smoke-conducting tube to therear of the said fan, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the smoke-stack, of the smoke conducting tubecommunicating therewith and formed at a point immediately to the rear ofits curved forward end with the herein described spark box or arresterhaving the perpendicular rear side, and arranged to operate in themanner and for the purpose shown and set forth.

6. The combination of the combined suction and forcing fan located onthe rear portion of the locomotive, the double smokeconducting tubesarranged to conduct the smoke, gas, 830., from the smoke-stack of thelocomotive and discharge the same into each eye or central end openingof the fan'chamher or casing, and the single smoke-conducting tubeextending rearwardly from the said fan, substantially as described, forthe purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the tube-sections having the flanged ends, ofthe hereindescribed coupling devices, consisting each of acoupling-sleeve of suitable length having its interior diameter exactlyequal to the exterior diameter of the said flanged ends of the IICtubesections, and provided with the springcatches arranged to operate asdescribed, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the tube-sections having the flanged ends andthe couplingsleeves having the retaining spring-catches, of theherein-described non-combustible sack or envelope, adapted to be securedin its operative position by the spring hoops or catches securedadjustably around each end of the same, as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

9. The combination, with the smoke conducting tube, of theherein-described proteeting-cap,secured to the rear open end thereof,and having the slanting back and the open front and top portions, andadapted to operate in the manner and for the purpose shown and setforth.

10. The combination, with the smoke-conducting tube having the spark-boxat its forward end and the combined suction and tube to assist thedraft, and the exhaust-steam forcing fan arranged, as described, in thesaid pipes arranged to convey the exhaust-steam tube to create or assistthe draft, of the valveinto the said smoke conducting tube, as and 1controlled port or opening formed immedifor the purpose shown and setforth.

5 ately above the said spark-box in the side of In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as the smoke-conducting tube, for the purpose 1 myown I have hereunto affixed my signature set forth. in presence of twowitnesses.

11. Thecombinationof thehere'in-described T air-tight smokeconductingtube,communicat- THOMAS SIMPSOI 1o ing at its forward end only with thefurnace Witnesses:

of the locomotive, the combined suction and L. B. BENNETT, forcing fanarranged, as described, in the said B. H. BENNETT.

